Risen
by XFandom
Summary: It's been five years since the War between mutants and humans ended, and the Old World is left to ruin. Driven by different goals and interests, the X-Men have split into smaller factions, and nothing is as it was. But out of the ruin a New World rises, and perhaps with it, a new hope. Aimi Yoshida/Gambit & OC/Scott Summers
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Aki and EmeraldDragon own none of the traditional X-Men characters, their timelines, universes, or other affiliated property. We do however, own any OCs.**

**Note: Aimi Yoshida is based off of the X-Men video game: _ X-M_**_**en: D**_**_estiny,_ and is not own by either Aki or EmeraldDragon. However, Aimi Yoshida has been modified slightly to have some OC characteristics. **

**Thanks for visiting, enjoy, and please R&R!**

* * *

_Chapter 1 written by, EmeraldDragon_

Something wasn't right. Granted, nothing had really been 'right' since the beginning of the war, but when I say 'something wasn't right'; I mean there was something off. There was something that didn't belong in my personal little piece of hell. I tilted my head, listening for any strange sounds on the wind. I heard nothing: that bothered me. The shadows grew restless as I crept silently along the dark side of a crumbling wall. They sensed prey nearby, something for me to sharpen my teeth on. It had been a while since anybody, human or otherwise, had dared trespass in my territory. Philadelphia, or what was left of it, was my city. Mine.

I pulled myself up onto a ledge with a growl, repeating the action until I was crouched on the roof of the building. I searched the ground directly below and saw nothing but the bits and debris that the old world had left behind. War can do terrible things to civilization; it throws its flames everywhere, with no remorse for whom or what it burns. I had grown into a woman in that hopeless pit; I had become a survivor. I had been given no choice. It was sink or swim, kill or be killed. I had wanted to live, so I left with those who shared my ideals. The war had divided us into many little factions. Those who were strong lived and those who were weak…well, you get the point.

Part of me wanted to let the fiend out and soar above the ground where I could better see what was coming. Of course, that would also make me far easier to see. So, I canned that idea and moved along the rooftops, going where my instincts led me. I finally made it to the remains of the liberty building, making sure to keep to the shadows as I scaled down the sides. My quarry was somewhere nearby, I was sure of it. I shifted my weight slightly and peered over the edge, my sharp eyesight piercing through the darkness. Six shapes moved down the dark street, creeping through like they were trying to avoid detection; like they were trying to avoid me. They knew where they were, then, and who they were messing with. Or, perhaps, they were just being cautious. Either way, they would regret stepping foot in my city. I couldn't take them all myself, of course.

"Find the others," I whispered to the shadows whirling around me. "Tell them we have company and I need them."

The shades left soundlessly, fanning out in order to find my comrades, those with whom I shared the territory. My little faction consists of four mutants: Remy LeBeau, Kurt Wagner, Raven Darkholme and me, Aimi Yoshida; Gambit, Nightcrawler, Mystique and Shadow, as we are known out in the community. I had left the X Men with Gambit and Nightcrawler after the beginning of the war. It was safer to split up, we had said, but I hadn't seen the rest of the X Men since. I'll admit that I missed a few of them. Not all of them, mind you, but a few of them: Archangel and Wolverine, specifically. I had been close with them, but they wouldn't leave and I wouldn't stay. Gambit offered to take me with him when he left and I had agreed. He had apparently convinced Nightcrawler, as well. I had been twenty at the time, and afraid, but I had done what was needed to survive. The three of us acquired Philadelphia, where Mystique had wandered in and joined our little family not long after. We defended each other and our territory, and so far had been successful at staying alive.

Now these people had shown up and I didn't intend to give up any ground. If they had come looking for a fight, they would get one. If they were just passing through, then I'd make sure they did exactly that. Such a large group of mutants or humans could be followed and I couldn't risk bringing more war to my city. Knowing that help was coming, I called upon the shadows and allowed them to swallow me, vanishing from sight. They transported me to a shaded corner farther up the strange group's path, where I observed them from the safety of the darkness. As they got closer I began to recognize them.

The group was led by Emma Frost, a mutant and a woman that I despise. She was still dressing like a stripper, I noticed immediately. My mood only worsened from there, as she was followed by Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops. Yet another person I'm not entirely fond of; the man can't take a joke for his life and thinks far too highly of himself for my liking. Dick head. They were followed by Iceman, Colossus, Storm, and another woman I didn't recognize. I wasn't entirely surprised by the group; they always had been entirely too loyal for their own good. I didn't have anything against them, though. They followed their hearts and I could respect that. I just couldn't respect the two who led them.

The sound of wings made me look up and I immediately shrank back further into the shadows as I saw Archangel soar overhead. Damn, so he _was_ still with them. That was going to make sneaking up on them much harder. My biggest concern, though, was the only person who I didn't see with them. Wolverine, was he still among them? Just because I couldn't see him didn't mean he wasn't there. A Wolverine you can't see is far more dangerous than any other mutant that you can see.

"The ol' group, hm?"

I nearly jumped at Gambit's Louisiana drawl coming suddenly from behind me. I glanced back, clearly seeing his red eyes in the darkness. Of course he was the first to show; he always was. Keeping an eye on me seemed to be his favorite past-time, besides poker. I wasn't going to complain though; the man had always had my back, even when we were still with the X Men. He always seemed to be there to help when I needed it most. I felt a bit more relaxed now that he'd shown up, in spite of myself.

"Yeah, looks like it. You see the others on your way here?"

"No, but we wouldn't be good at our jobs if we could be seen now would we, chère?"

"No," I said with a soft laugh. "I suppose not. You think they're here looking for trouble? Or are they just moving on through?"

"Hard to say," he answered calmly, leaning forward to get a better look at the group approaching slowly. "Could be they're looking to bring the old gang back together. Or maybe they don't even know we're here."

"Emma's with them. They know," I said flatly, before looking back at him. I let the shadows fill my mind, hoping it would keep the telepath out of my thoughts. "I'm going in. Can I depend on you and the others to pull me out of things go south?"

"Of course, ma chérie. As always."

I gave him a small smile before allowing the shadows to take me again. 'Ma chérie'. He always says the nicest things, but it could be hard to tell whether he meant it, often times. Gambit's not an easy man to read; he's got an amazing poker face. I reappeared behind the encroaching group, rising out of the ground as if coming up from the depths of hell.

"It's been a while, Cyclops," I said coolly, causing the lot of them to swing around to look at me. I kept my calm, determined not to be intimidated by my former team mates, and crossed my arms loosely across my chest. "Too long for you to come looking for us now just because you can, I assume."

"We've just come looking for a safe place to stay, Aimi," Emma said calmly, putting her hands up as she tried to be as non-threatening as possible. I just narrowed my eyes, not trusting a word out of the crystal whore's mouth.

"It's Shadow to you, Emma. We don't generally let people wander in here; no matter who they are. A group of your size can easily be tracked and I don't want any trouble in my city."

"We're not being tracked," the girl I didn't recognize said, coming to stand at Cyclops's side. "And we're not here to cause trouble. We've been traveling for a long time and we're hungry and tired. Please."

I looked her over slowly, vaguely aware of the popping sound somewhere overhead that signaled Nightcrawler's arrival. Good, more back-up. I shifted my stance to a more defensive position as I watched the new girl. She was Australian, judging by her accent, and was more than likely some kind of mutant. She had icy blue eyes and jet black hair, but she was rather small in stature. Not overly intimidating, but, then again I'm not incredibly intimidating either at first glance. I didn't know who she was but, yet, something about her was familiar. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I had other problems than figuring her out.

"Who is 'we'?" Cyclops asked bluntly. He was no more a fan of me than I was of him. It was good to know that the feeling was still mutual. At least he wasn't trying to play nice, like Emma.

"Why don't you make a move and find out, Summers?"

"Come on, kiddo," came a rough, but friendly voice from my left. Cursing myself for not paying closer attention to my surroundings, I glanced over to see Wolverine leaned against the damaged brick wall of a building. "What's a favor between friends, huh?"

Curse the fates; I could feel myself clamming up like a nervous school girl. It had been five years since I had even seen the man, but still my muscles refused to respond and my words didn't want to come out. Damn it all.

"Friends don't leave friends hangin', Logan," I heard Gambit say somewhere to my right. I felt his presence as he stepped up behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Isn't that right, Shadow?"

I nodded slowly, watching the anger flash across Wolverine's face as he caught the true meaning behind Gambit's words. Bless that Cajun; I'd have to remember to thank Remy for pulling me out of that one. It wouldn't have done well to make myself look like a complete fool.

"You're still hanging around with the thief, Aimi?" Wolverine asked coldly, not bothering to hide his anger. I could feel my anger rising, too, as my wish to defend Gambit overcame my nervous paralysis.

"Why not? _He's_ always here when I need him. Might as well repay the favor," I growled, but seeing Logan had taken the fight out of me. I just felt tired and sad and wanted to get this showdown over with. With a sigh, I glanced up at Gambit. "You think we can handle a few hangers-on Remy? Just until they're fit to fly?"

"Why not?" He said with a shrug. "The odds are stacked against us as it is. Let's up the ante, just for kicks. We could use a change of pace."

"Alright," I said with resignation. I had a feeling I was going to regret letting Wolverine talk me into letting them stay, even if he had only asked nicely. I looked up, finding the looming figures of Mystique and Nightcrawler looking down at us from a rooftop. "Help me out here, Nightcrawler. We're going to have a few guests."

* * *

**Tell us what you think, but please be kind! Constructive criticism is always welcome, slander however, is not.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Aki and EmeraldDragon own none of the traditional X-Men characters, their timelines, universes, or other affiliated property. We do however, own any OCs.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review! :D**

* * *

_Chapter 2 written by_, _EmeraldDragon_

It wasn't long before we were all in the hideout. Our place wasn't beautiful or anything; it was hardly the X-Mansion, but it had been my home for a while and I'd grown used to its…unique charm. The lair was underground, mostly, with exits coming out of several buildings throughout the city. We made use of a lot of the old subway tunnels: it made smuggling goods in easier. Yes, I said smuggling. It's not easy to make a life in a basically post-apocalyptic world, alright? We stole to survive and we made no apologies for it.

The main part of our home was actually in and underneath the old Citizen's Bank Park, where the baseball team used to play. It doesn't sound that great, but working together we'd managed to make it fairly comfortable. It was better than most of the other hell holes we'd seen people living in. Gambit's contacts in the criminal underworld made getting what we needed a whole lot easier and whatever they couldn't get us we found on our own. There was plenty of room within that it was easy to put the X Men in places where my family wouldn't have to be bothered with them. Mystique hadn't been happy about our visitors, at all. Lucky for them, she wasn't in charge.

"This isn't going to end well, Aimi, and you know it," she hissed at me as I climbed down into our main lounge. I grunted a non-committal response, not really wanting to have the conversation with her at the moment. My brain was too full of old memories I had managed to keep locked away until I had seen Logan. I couldn't have given Mystique a decent answer, even if I had wanted to.

The shapeshifter threw her hands up in the air in frustration, angry that I had basically ignored her. It wasn't the first time I had ignored her, however and it wouldn't be the last. I knew she would get over it, eventually. As I entered the lounge, I realized I wouldn't find any peace and quiet there, either. Wolverine, Nightcrawler and the new girl were there, eating some of the non-perishables we kept. I was intent on keeping the fresh stuff for my family. We worked hard to get that and I wasn't about to let these people live off of our hard work.

"I remember you from somewhere," Nightcrawler was saying to the new girl. "Have we met before?"

"Yes, I think we have Kurt. I believe you were with Shadow when she found me. I'm Mia Hart, the girl who was being kept by the humans."

"In the secret complex," I said coolly. "Yes, that's where I remember you from."

It seemed that they hadn't noticed me until I had spoken, as they all turned to look at me in surprise. I decided to stay leaning in the doorway, hoping that it would make a quick exit easier if I felt too confined. With Wolverine sitting there looking at me, I had no doubt that feeling would come soon.

"I see why they call you Shadow," Mia said. "I didn't hear you come down."

"You should try finding her in a dark room," Wolverine said with a smirk, the kind that used to make my blood run hot. Now it just made me want to throw up. "She has a talent for being incredibly terrifying, when she wants to be."

"I do what I have to in order to survive," I said shortly in an attempt to keep my dinner in my stomach. I knew what he was referencing and I desperately hoped that I was the only one that understood it. "If I need to be terrifying to do so, then so be it."

I could feel Nightcrawler watching me in concern; he knows me well enough to know when there's something wrong. I was sure he'd be able to figure it out fairly easily, too. I shifted my weight uneasily, wishing Gambit would appear and pull me out of my dilemma again. I knew I was probably on my own this time.

"Survival of the fittest?" Mia asked with her eyebrows raised. "Don't you think that's a bit extreme, considering that's what Magneto believes and he caused this war in the first place?"

"You can say that, if you wish, but Magneto was only half of the problem. Plus, you may not agree with my methods, but you don't see me wandering around aimlessly with no home like you, do you? There's something to be said for fighting ruthlessly for what's yours." I said roughly, far beyond being civil. Civility isn't one of my strong points in the first place, let alone when I'm feeling sick and depressed. I watched the other woman's eyes narrow. It didn't look like she was one for putting up with bullshit either. Great. I glanced at Wolverine, who looked at me with one eyebrow arched, and just knew I had to leave before things got worse.

"If you'll excuse me," I said quickly. "I have things to attend to. Food has to be replaced, after all, and that can't happen without a game plan."

I turned and left without another word, moving as quickly as I could without looking desperate. Once I was out of sight and out of ear shot I went from a quick walk to a full out run. I needed fresh air, and badly.

I found myself where I always ended up when I was stressed out, up on bleachers. Humans would have considered them the 'nose bleed section' but I thought of it as my personal little oasis. With all the unnatural shadows and hanging structures, it was very shaded and I felt safe there. It would be hard to see me from up above, and nobody generally expected me to be there. Well, almost nobody.

"Something wrong, ma petite?" Gambit asked quietly. I looked up to find him climbing the bleachers towards me. He posed it as a question, but he already knew the answer. It was obvious. He wanted me to tell him about it. I looked away from him as he sat beside me, instead looking out across the deserted, unkempt baseball field.

"What gave it away?"

"Kurt was concerned about you."

"When _isn't_ he concerned about me?"

"Chère," he said gently, leaning forward so he could look at me. "Talk to me. What's on your mind?"

"You know damn well what's on my mind, Remy," I growled, pulling my fingers roughly through my hair, hoping that maybe a bit of physical pain would dull its emotional counterpart. Gambit was silent for a long moment before he spoke again.

"The Wolverine, then?" He said tightly. "Aimi, I thought you put this to rest years ago. He shouldn't have any hold over you that would make you uncomfortable in your home."

"I thought I had, but seeing him here…"

"You still feel for him."

"No! Hell, no, it's not that at all. My heart has…moved on," I said, stumbling ridiculously over my words and hoping I wasn't making a complete fool of myself. "Every time I'm around him I feel like throwing up. I feel the rage, and the pain and the betrayal that I felt then. He made a promise that he'd always be there but…he wasn't."

"No, Aimi, he wasn't, but let me tell you something. You've never been alone, ma chérie. You never have been and you never will be. Don't let him break your trust when there are those who would keep it. Those who would cherish it."

"Like who, Remy?"

"Like me?" He answered gently, reaching out and pushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I looked over at him, my heart beginning to race in my chest. I hadn't expected to hear him say that…though I'd thought about it for a long time. His red eyes burned into mine as he looked at me. "I love you, Shadow. I know Logan hurt you, and I know it won't be easy, but give me a chance chère. Give me a chance to prove myself."

As if he hadn't already proven himself over and over. When Wolverine wasn't there for me, Gambit always had been. It was impossible for me to know how long he'd felt that way and said nothing. The fact that I hadn't seen it before was, frankly, sad. Beneath my pain over Logan's betrayal, I knew I felt the same for the Cajun, but I was afraid of being hurt again. Remy had been helping me deal with my issues for years; letting him know how I felt, and that I was ready to give him that chance, was the least I could do. Sliding my arm through his, I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Chère?"

"I'm ready to try again."

"Très bon," he answered softly, squeezing my hand. "I'm glad."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Aki and EmeraldDragon own none of the traditional X-Men characters, their timelines, universes, or other affiliated property. We do however, own any OCs.**

**R&R please! :)**

* * *

_Chapter 3 written by, Aki_

I sank gratefully into one of the small plush chairs gathered around the lounge room once the woman who called herself Shadow had left. For some reason she really set me on edge, and I didn't like the way her scrutinizing blue eyes had raked over me like I was some lamb fit for slaughter. _She is rather unnerving…_a cool voice chimed in my head—Emma. I sighed. _Yes. But at least she is letting us stay here._

Emma's voice whispered through my mind, a dry laugh. _For now._

_Be nice, Emma._ I sent, a hint of warning in my voice. My gaze flickered to the doorway as Emma entered the room. She lifted her shoulders in a half-shrug. "It's true," she said aloud. "Don't get too comfortable." She sank down opposite me on a short couch, folding her legs up gracefully beneath herself, a grace I sometimes envied her for.

"Let's just enjoy it while it lasts," I said in a weary tone, and Emma shrugged again, leaning back against the couch and dropping an arm over the side.

"If you say so," she replied, gazing up at me lazily. "I've been practically begging Scott to let us stay somewhere for more than thirty seconds, but you know how he gets."

I gave her a small smile. "He just wants what's best for us," I told her, in his defense.

"What's best for us is finding a home again," she said resignedly.

"I know, I know" I said with a faint sigh, the reality of her words ringing true. We had been on the move for months now, not stopping more than a day or so for rest and we were all spent. It couldn't be helped though, it was rare to find any kind of sanctuary now-a-days...what with all the humans hell-bent on wiping all of us from the face of the planet. My gaze shifted to her, and there was a weariness there I knew she understood. "But we haven't found anywhere safe enough yet."

"Well then, like you said," she gave me a wry smile, "let's enjoy it while it lasts." After that we fell into a companionable silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Suddenly feeling restless, I quickly pushed myself to my feet. I hated being underground, and attributed it mostly to my powers…and the fact that it made me feel trapped, bringing back painful memories from when I had been locked away in that hell-whole. I wandered over to a long and well-worn wooden table that stretched the length of the back wall, and my gaze flitted over the array of objects gathered there. There was an interesting assortment of objects—various knives and blades, a few wilting potted plants, books. The more common-place items made the hideout seem more lived in, and it comforted me a bit.

After a few minutes the rest of our group trickled in, followed by Aimi, Mystique, Nightcrawler, and Gambit. "We have three spare rooms," Aimi said brusquely, folding her arms across her chest and staring us all down, as if daring us to challenge her. "There are eight of you. You do the math."

Emma stretched luxuriously where she sat, smirking faintly. "You boys can triple up. Mia and I will share the last room."

I grinned, giving Emma a look of approval. "Sounds good to me."

"Whatever," Logan said, "as long as I don't have to share with Cyclops over here." Scott didn't look amused, but Logan punched him roughly in the arm. "Relax, Scott," he said. "Just a joke."

"Don't touch me," Scott said, giving Logan an irritated look. I rolled my eyes at their childish behavior.

I could feel that girl, Shadow, watching me again, assessing in that silent and unnerving manner. I turned to meet her gaze, raising my eyebrows at her questioningly. "Yes?"

"Just wondering what your poison is," she said, dropping her arms to her sides. Despite her attempt at an air of indifference, there was a hint of curiosity in her cool blue eyes.

I sighed softly, "Alright," I said. "But I can show you better than I can tell you." I turned away to face one of the wilting potted plants resting against the wall. Closing my eyes, I placed my hand just above the plant, not quite touching it. After a few seconds a soft green glow began to pulse steadily from my palm, bathing the plant in a green pallor of light. The plant began to grown again, stretching toward the energy eagerly, strong and healthy again. I smiled slightly, pleased, and turned back to face Aimi. A look of mild esteem flickered briefly through her eyes before it was gone, and she was assessing me coolly again.

"So you make plants grow?" Nightcrawler drawled, collapsing in the chair next to Emma. He gave me a lazy smirk.

I looked at him, raising my eyebrows. "Among other things. I have a deep connection with nature. I can manipulate different elements and read different energy patterns in nature."

"What elements, exactly?" Aimi asked, her interest piqued, and I glanced back at her.

"Mostly plants and wind, earth too. I can access some fire and water, but it takes more energy and concentration," I replied. Aimi nodded her approval, and Nightcrawler leaned forward from his place in the chair, looking intrigued.

"You don't say," he said, grinning. "This could be interesting."

"So if I piss you off you could blow me away or set me on fire?" Mystique scoffed, her golden gaze unforgiving.

I shrugged. "Or suck all the oxygen out of your body, maybe drown you," I replied in a no-nonsense tone. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Scott smirk, while Mystique's own smirk faltered. Aimi looked amused, and she smiled slightly at me. Maybe I would like her after-all.

"What do they call you, Mia?" she asked. She leaned into Gambit slightly, and he dropped an arm around the shoulders. I saw Logan narrow his eyes out of the corner of mine, and I resisted the urge to roll mine. Instead I decided to ignore him and answer Aimi's question. "They call me Galestrom," I told her.

"Our Galestrom can pack a real punch when she wants to," Emma said nonchalantly, stretching lightly again, her gaze drifting across the room to fall on Mystique. She gave the blue shape-shifter a barely distinguishable smirk.

I turned back to the plant, reaching out and running a finger down its stem tenderly. I felt it pulse beneath me in response to my light touch of magic, strengthening a bit. I brushed my hands over the other plants there, revitalizing them as well, taking a silent pleasure in how they eagerly blossomed to life. The healthy plants made the hideout seem a little more cheery, and a little less formidable.

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced my skull, and I drew in a ragged breath. I gripped the edge of the table tightly as the pressure in my skull increased slightly. I felt something stir at the edge of my conscious, and Emma's gentle and tentative voice slipped in. _Mia?_ She sent, concerned laced into her words. _Are you alright?_

_F-fine._ I sent back shakily.

_The headaches? _

_Yeah…I need to get out of here._ I told her. _Don't tell the others, okay? I don't want anyone to worry._

She was silent for a moment, and I could tell she was deliberating on whether or not to argue with me over the matter. _Scott will be worried._ She finally sent.

_I k-know…_ I sent back shakily, and I gritted my teeth against the pain. Another sharp jab of pain pierced my skull, and I gripped the edge of the table harder, trying hard not to cry out in pain. I suddenly felt something warm and sticky trickle from my nose, and I lifted a hand to my face gingerly. My heart lurched when I pulled it away to find blood there, and I felt someone's alarm—Emma's—in my mind. I threw up my mental walls, blocking Emma from my mind so she wouldn't know what was going on. Outside of my head I heard someone saying something behind me, but I didn't reply-I wasn't really listening.

"_Mia_?" it came again, this time a little more urgent. I quickly wiped the rest of the blood from my face, brushing it off on my already filthy jeans and turned to face Scott. "Yeah?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

"I said are you alright?" he asked, and I picked up on the concern in his voice. Everyone was watching with mixed expressions of concern, wariness, or suspicion.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said dismissively.

"Really?" he asked incredulously.

"I just need some fresh air," I said quickly, purposely keeping my gaze from Emma. I kept my mental walls up too, barring her from my mind. I didn't want or need her concern or lectures right now.

"Mia, it's late. Maybe we should—" Storm began, taking a step toward me, but I held up a hand cutting her off.

"Look, I just need to get out for a few minutes, okay? I'll be right back." Before anyone could say anything else I started for the ladder that led up to the surface. Scott reached out and grabbed my hand as I passed, pulling me to a stop.

"Mia…" he said softly, and I could tell he was worried. I _was_ acting slightly crazy, after-all.

"I'm fine, Scott," I said, giving him a weak smile that was anything but believable.

He didn't say anything for a moment, and I stepped closer to him, lifting a hand and touching it briefly to his face. "I promise," I whispered softly.

He studied me for at me more moments, and finally sighed faintly. "Alright," he said with a slight nod. "Just don't go too far."

I gave him another smile that almost reached my eyes, leaned in, and brushed my lips across his before I was quickly gone, up the ladder and out onto the surface.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Aki and EmeraldDragon own none of the traditional X-Men characters, their timelines, universes, or other affiliated property. We do however, own any OCs.**

* * *

_Chapter 4 written by, Aki_

"Well this is new," Aimi said, slightly taken aback, after Mia had left. "Scott Summers…in love? Who would have thought that would happen again?"

Scott gave her a look of warning. "Don't start, Aimi," he said, almost wearily.

"Yeah, besides, looks like he's not the only one," Logan said with a faint smirk.

Aimi narrowed her eyes at him. "What?" She growled. "Did you expect me to sit around and pine forever? Don't flatter yourself."

Logan held up his hands defensively. "Easy kiddo, just an observation."

"Alright, let's not start fighting," Archangel said, taking a step forward. "I think we've had enough of that to last us a lifetime."

"Archangel, is right," Storm chimed in, and Logan grunted something in response before falling silent.

Aimi glared at Logan for a moment more before turning away to face Scott again. "Look, I never said it was a bad thing. After what happened with Jean…It's actually…good."

"He's definitely a lot less of a tight ass," Logan said, clapping Scott on the back and going to sit in one of the large chairs.

Scott glared at him as he passed before turning back to face Aimi. "I certainly hope so," he said.

* * *

Once I surfaced into the city of Philadelphia I took off running, using the wind to propel me at an excessive speed. I raced blindly and wildly through the city, to the very edge of its limits before I forced myself to stop. Remembering my promise to Scott, I sighed and turned back to wander through the twisted and debris strewn streets until I found a tallish building. Accessing my Wind energy again, I used it to gently propel myself to the top of the building where I perched carefully, looking over the edge at the rest of the massive city. Time and war had distorted what was once something majestic, leaving in its wake a ruin of ghosts and skeletal building frames, hollowed out and haunted by lingering memories of what once was. It was eerily poetic in its own way…not that I particularly enjoyed it. Philadelphia, though grand in its own right, was far too removed from nature for my tastes. While I liked having a temporary home, I hoped we moved on soon.

My head wasn't pounding anymore, not after my insane sprint through the streets, and being outside was beginging to lessen the pressure there as well. I'd been getting the headaches again a lot lately, and I was worried, mostly because they were growing progressively worse. When I had escaped from the Insitute with the help of some of the X-Men, my mind had been riddled with horrible memories and nightmares from what they had done to me while I had been their prisoner…horrible, torturous things that I sometimes still plagues my nightmares.

When I had first joined up with the X-Men, Emma had been there to help me forget. Working with me and using her telepathy, she had taught me how to forget about all of those horrible things, how to push them to the back of my subconscious so I could move on…sometimes they still surfaced though, and when they did she was there to help push them back and ease my mind. That's why we were so close…why I had trusted her…and why I had decided to stay with her when some of the others like Gambit and Nightcrawler had left our faction.

Lately though, I had been getting headaches…horrible headaches that often came with accompanying flashbacks…flashbacks of things that had happened to me. I wasn't sure where they were coming from or what was causing them. Neither was Emma, though she had been working with me to try and figure them out. Scott and the others knew about them, about the headache part at least…we just had convinced them into thinking that's all they were, bad headaches. I felt bad lying to them, and asking Emma lie to them too, but I wanted to figure these things out before alarming anyone else. Especially Scott.

I sighed softly, almost wistfully. Scott… I suppose you could consider us together now… _I_ thought we were at least. I'd love him for a long long time…almost since I had met him. I had never told him, and he had never asked. I didn't know if his affections were at the same way level as mine were, and I wasn't about to risk getting hurt to find out. I knew he cared about me…hell everyone knew how we felt about each other. But did he _love_ me? I didn't know. Maybe one day I would.

I don't know how long I perched there like that, lost in my own thoughts, but it was long enough for my headaches to finally subside and my legs to cramp up. I sighed softly and pushed myself to my feet, stretching my sore muscles before moving to the edge of the building's rooftop. I was about to descend and head back to the hideout when I suddenly sensed something, a shift in the energy patterns of the wind.

_Danger…_ the winds whispered to me in a soft hiss, the sound like something slithering across dry leaves.

I instantly sank back into a crouch, and then I felt it, the jarring sensation of something not right, of something about to go terribly wrong. The sensation hit me so hard, and was so strong, that a sense of sheer panic came over me. My senses were on high alert, my eyes like a hawk's as I scanned the surrounding area for any sign of the perceived danger. A few minutes passed and I saw and heard nothing, and gradually the sensation of danger subsided.

Casting out my senses to the wind again, I picked up on nothing. I frowned slightly, confused, and very unnerved. The sensation had been so real, so strong…and now it was gone, as if had never been there in the first place. I waited a few more minutes before I rose again, slowly, and stepped over the side of the building. I rode a draft down a back alley, my feet finding solid ground in the shadow of a dilapidated building, and started to make my way back to the streets.

I was about to step out onto the streets when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Before I could react I felt a needle sharp sting in my shoulder. I gasped softly, glancing down to see the feathered end of a small blue dart sticking from my shoulder blade. I didn't have much time to react before another one was fired, but luckily this one missed and disappeared somewhere into the shadows behind me. Suddenly, the alley where I was standing was filled with dark shapes, humans, I saw, making their way toward me. They held guns, all of them pointed toward me, and I could only assume they were the source of the dark buried in my shoulder blade. I heard the faint whirring of a gun readying to fire, and I glanced down at the red laser dot on my chest, just above my heart. In an instant I had launched myself up into the air again, and rode the gust of wide up to the rooftop of a small fire-singed brick building.

My feet had barely touched the rooftop before I was off running, moving across the rooftops of surrounding building like a bat out of hell, pure fear and wind to urging me on. I heard shot and felt another sharp sting, this time in the opposite shoulder. I hadn't felt the effects of the first dart, but I felt this one. It started in my shoulder, a warm and tingly numbing sensation. _Shit._ I cursed to myself…they were tranquilizer darts!

I couldn't remember the way back to the hideout, and I didn't know how far I was away yet as I ran blindly through the city, doing my best to avoid the darts whizzing through the air at me. _Fuck!_ How had humans found us! We weren't being tracked when we arrived here, I would have known! I wasn't sure if Emma would be able to hear me from the proximity we were at, or if she would hear me from underground, but I could at least try.

_Emma!_ I sent fearfully, wincing as another dart hit me, this one in my leg. I stumbled a bit, but continued on. Where the fuck were these guys? How many were there? Who were they? It was far too dark to get a good look at them, and I was about to stick around and ask questions. I was really starting to feel the effects now as I began to slow slightly, my body growing steadily numb. _Emma it's Mia!_ I sent more urgently. No response. I suddenly felt cold, and I wasn't sure if it was from the fear, or the darts. What if she couldn't hear me?

Finally, after what felt like an agonizing few minutes, Emma responded. _Mia? Mia, what is it?_ She sent, concern laced through her thoughts.

_Oh, God Emma!_ I sent back, relief flooding through me. _They're here! _

_Who's here?_ Emma sent back, fear edging into her own thoughts. _Mia, what are you talking about?_

_Humans! I don't know how but they found us! They're chasing me…they have tranquilizer guns! I don't know where I am, but tell the others, warn them! _

I felt more than heard the alarm race through Emma's mind. _Okay, calm down Mia. How many are there?_

_I don't know!_ I practically screamed back. _They're everywhere and I can't get away from them! They've already shot me and I don't know how much longer I can keep running…you have to warn the others! They might have found the hideout._

_Where are you, Mia?_ Emma sent.

I didn't know where I was, but I didn't a quick scan of my surroundings and sent a picture of where I was to Emma. _Here!_ I sent.

There was a short pause and then Emma responded. _Okay, Aimi knows where that is. You aren't far from us. Just try keep moving. We're on our way._

Terror raced through me suddenly as I thought about my friends facing these humans... about them getting hurt or worse. _Emma, no!_ _There might be hundreds…they could get to all of us. I'll lead them away and try to make it back when it's clear! _If I could make it back._ Tell everyone to stay there, I don't want you in danger too._

_No, Mia._ She sent firmly. _We're coming. Cyclops and Archangel are already on their way._

_Emma, please…_ I started to say. I made to move and jump across to the next rooftop, and I don't know if it was that my timing was off, or the effects of the tranquilizer darts had screwed up my judgment, but I faltered midair and felt another dart hit me, this time in the chest. I lost control of my magic and fell, crashing to the hard asphalt of an alleyway.

I lay there for a few moments, disorientated, my shoulder throbbing where I had landed on it before I rose shakily to my feet, struggling against the effects of the darts' poison as it pumped steadily through my veins, and as the humans poured down into the alleyway. I grabbed weakly at my magic trying to access it and the humans drew closer to me, guns aimed at my chest. I gathered my Wind energy into a loose ball and sent it rushing toward the humans. It hit the ones in the front, barely doing anything except making them stumble back a few feet before they continued to advance. _Oh, God_…dull panic filled my body.

_Em… I sent,_ my voice breaking. _Em I don't want them to take me…_

_Hold on, Mia!_ She sent back urgently, and I felt her drawing closer, though she sounded so far away, so distant. Everything was starting to blur before my eyes, and a thick fog clouded my mind, making me groggy. I took a step back, stumbling, and tried in vain to seize my powers but it was no use.

I sank to my knees as another dart hit me in the chest. _Emma…_ I sent one final time, and everything went dark.


	5. Chapter 5

_Written by Emeralddragon (with a tiny bit of input from Aki!)_

I sat on the edge of the old, decrepit _PHILLIES_ sign, looking down on the empty streets. My thoughts were going a mile a minute. These X-Men show up in my city, and then suddenly we're being attacked by humans? I could feel a growl welling up in my throat; Gambit had been shot twice by human darts while helping rescue Summer's woman. They didn't do too much damage and he was strong enough that the tranquilizer had very little effect on him, but that didn't make me feel any better.

"I told you this would end badly," came a soft whisper in the darkness. I knew it was Mystique without bothering to look. I could hear her padding across the metal sheeting towards me; she was the last person I wanted to talk to. I kept my eyes down on the ground as she came to sit beside me.

"I told you that letting those people stay here was going to cause trouble. They show up and the humans follow close behind. How long will it be before they find the hideout and come in here at full force?"

"They come in here and they die," I said coolly, finally turning to glance at her. "I'm not about to just kick them out into the cold, Raven. Wolverine and Archangel have been my friends for a long time. I'll not throw them to the wolves."

"Wolverine _and_ Archangel? What, do you fuck all the men, or just the ones with animal traits?"

"Excuse me?" I snarled, swinging around to glare at the shapeshifter. The shadows swelled up around us, swirling with anger in response to me. They were hungry for blood and if Mystique wasn't careful, it would be her's.

"What, you haven't slept with Archangel, too? I thought that was how you climbed through the ranks; one bed at a time."

"Fuck you, Mystique," I snapped. "I'm leader of this group because I've earned it. Need I remind you who pulled you out of that mess you were in earlier tonight? Without me, you would have been caged like some god-damn circus animal."

"If you had been paying attention, instead of sweet talking with LeBeau, I never would have been in that situation in the first place. We were fine until you let that Wolverine talk you into them staying. Next time, why don't you act like the leader you're supposed to be, instead of some waif who takes her orders from men?"

I pulled one of my blades from its sheath, about ready to shove it through the bottom of her mouth and up into her brain. I was not in the mood for her bullshit and I wouldn't hesitate to prove my dominance over her blue ass. We both stood slowly, a sneer stuck on her face as I stared her down. It wasn't the first time Mystique had challenged me for the leadership position, but it was the first time that she had done it when we were alone and would, possibly, be uninterrupted. The shadows were looking forward to it.

We lunged forward toward each other, but I knew it was over when I heard the familiar poof of Nightcrawler's arrival. I was grabbed around the middle and thrown through space with the teleporter; we reappeared down on the field by the pitcher's mound. I looked over to where Mystique was to see her being restrained by Archangel, his great white wings spread wide behind him.

"That's enough, you two," Cyclops said, striding across the field towards us with Gambit and Mia in tow. "We can't afford to be fighting among ourselves right now."

"Everything was just fine until you people showed up," I spat, the shadows writhing angrily around us. I could see as Gambit noticed the shadows movements and picked up his pace to reach me sooner. He knew me all too well. "These fucking humans followed you into my home, Cyclops, so don't you start lecturing me like I'm your fucking student!"

"Now chère," Remy said as he reached me, placing his hands on my shoulders. I immediately wrenched away from him, not wanting to be controlled or comforted in any way, shape or form.

"Don't you 'now chère' me, Remy! It's his damn fault that we're under fire!"

I saw something flash in Mia's eyes then, something like a fierce protectiveness mixed with a righteous defensiveness. She stepped forward so that she was standing in front of Scott slightly; she folded her arms, looking straight at me. I noticed how the wind picked up slightly, and my shadows stirred in response.

"I do not know how they found us or what brought them here, but I can guarantee you that it was not because of us. These humans are the last people I would have anything to do with. Perhaps we should cease throwing around accusations long enough to come up with a logical reason that might explain why they are here," she said evenly. Though I didn't like to admit it, I agreed with her. I opened my mouth to agree with her, but Mystique interjected.

"Hah!" Mystique said, wrenching free from Archangel's grasp. "And give you the chance to spout more lies about what brought you here?" her yellow eyes blazed as she advanced on Mia. "Save it for someone who cares!" She stopped just in front of Mia. "Or maybe you're just like Shadow over there," she hissed softly, "crawling into bed with anyone who'll let you claw your way up the ranks?"

I noticed the winds stir noticeably then, and suddenly Nightcrawler disappeared with a pop, appearing behind Mystique to help Archangel pull her back a few feet as Cyclops slid calmly in front of Mia. His tone was stiff as he spoke. "That's enough," he said. "It is not each other we should be fighting."

"We should be working together," Mia said, her tone was low and even, and though I would peg her for someone who didn't put up with bullshit either, I wondered if Mystique's words had hurt more than she wanted to admit. She glanced up at Scott and something passed briefly between them, and I saw Scott's jaw clench. "Not challenging other's authority." Huh, maybe I would really like this woman after-all.

"Come on, ma chérie. The woman has a point; we need to sort this out together," Gambit said to me, his tone low and soothing, but at the same time firm. He squeezed my shoulders lightly, making sure to meet my eyes with his warm red ones. "It's been a long day; we're all tired and stressed out. Iceman and Colossus have taken first watch. Let us go inside and get some rest so we have clear heads tomorrow."

I held Gambit's gaze for a while, feeling the need to assert my dominance in my territory. It was an almost animalistic feeling, one that had developed over the time that I had been connected with the shadows. They were primal and their presence brought out my primal instinct as well. Cyclops and Mystique had threatened my authority; I wanted to make sure it was clear that my power remained intact. Remy gave me a resigned look, but did lower his eyes with a nearly inaudible sigh. I felt myself calming almost immediately.

"Yes, you're right," I answered softly, suddenly feeling very tired and miserable. I also felt afraid, and that scared me more than anything else. I avoid fear; it's a virus that infects your soul and brings you down with sheer strength of will. The shadows feared nothing; why should I? But, yet, I could feel the cold sensation crawling up my spine. I was losing control of the situation in my territory. I don't like losing control. I glanced over at Mia and Scott, but focused mostly on Scott. "We'll work with you in order to get through this catastrophe alive, Cyclops. Just be sure to remember whose home you're in."

I glanced up at Gambit to find him looking across the field at Mystique. His eyes glowed like hot coals and I could feel his energy billowing around him. In a movement that I didn't see, he suddenly had a card in his hand; it was the Ace of Spades. The card glowed with a slight violet color, Gambit's kenetic energy, and then he tossed it. It sailed across the field and landed lightly at Mystique's feet.

"Perhaps it is best that you keep your distance, chère," he said coolly to her. "We don' want any more trouble now, do we?"

Mystique looked down at the card and then slowly back up at him. I turned my face so she wouldn't see my smile; he was giving her a warning to show that he wouldn't put up with her dishonoring me in any way. I had always been grateful to Remy for that. He was never afraid to step up and protect me, even if I am making an ass of myself.

I leaned over the maps of Philly and the surrounding area, fully aware of Gambit's presence lingering behind me. He hadn't left me alone once since the incident with Mystique and I was somewhat grateful for it. If it had been Nightcrawler, Logan or Archangel it would have annoyed me, but not Remy. His presence was soothing and gave me a confidence that I sorely needed. My territory was in chaos. Humans were swarming across the city like ants, searching for our hideout. I knew it wouldn't be long before they found us. We had to move the hideout before then, find somewhere safe to stay for a little bit until we got our situation sorted out. In the back of my mind, I knew we would have to leave Philadelphia. There was nowhere we could stay in the city that they wouldn't eventually find us.

It was frustrating, trying to figure out what to do with a large group of people when I was under the constant pressure of a thinning time limit. The human scouts got closer every time I checked up on them. I stared at the maps, trying to find the quickest and safest route out of the city. I knew the subway system was probably our best bet, but where to go from there? I must have made a sound of annoyance, because I was suddenly aware of Gambit standing behind me, looking over my shoulder. He was so close that I could feel his body heat. It was incredibly distracting.

"Havin' trouble, chère?"

"You could say that," I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. Remy proceeded to rub my shoulders gently. Closing my eyes, I tried to relax and collect my thoughts. "I know we can use the subways to get out with minimal trouble…but where do we go from there? I know almost nothing about anything beyond the city limits, Remy. I'll be all but useless."

"You'll never be useless, Aimi," Gambit chided me calmly. "You are far more important to this group than you think. As for the knowledge, you have access to all of mine. May I make a suggestion?"

"Abso-_lutely_," I said with emphasis, making Gambit chuckle. "Whatever you're thinking of is probably better than any of my non-existent ideas, for damn sure."

"I have some contacts in da Big Apple. We could, perhaps, escape the city through the subway tunnels and, once out of reach of our human friends, we can head out that way, to New York City. It won' be an easy journey, but it may be worth it, no?"

"Gambit," I said, turning around so I was facing him. "You are amazing, you know that?"

"Merci, mon amour," he answered with one of those terribly charming smiles that could melt the heart of any living woman. If that look doesn't make you weak in the knees and you're a woman, you're probably dead. "I have heard that before, but it is nice to hear it from you."

I smiled up at him, painfully aware of the closeness of him. His red eyes burned into mine and I could have sworn he was looking right into the depths of my soul. I could feel myself beginning to blush, the heat rising through my face with an efficiency that scared me. I saw the smallest smirk pull at the corner of Remy's mouth as he tried not to show his amusement. I probably looked like a star-struck school girl who was face to face with her crush for the first time. Gambit traced his fingers against my cheek briefly, and then dropped his hand.

"We should probably get to work on this escape plan of ours, chère."

"Right," I said, tearing my gaze away from him to look back at the maps. There was no time to dally in romance at that moment. There was too much at stake and it was all resting on my shoulders. I really hoped I'd be able to lead the group out to safety. Gambit seemed confident that I would…I really wished I could have felt the same.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:**

**Once again, we own none of the original X-Men Characters!**

_**Chapter written by: Aki**_

* * *

"Shouldn't you be trying to keep out of sight?" a voice called from behind me, snapping me from my thoughts with a startled jump. I glanced up as Archangel landed beside me on the roof, alighting on the very edge with the grace of a hawk. "After all, you did almost get carted back to that Institute."

I gave him a rueful grin, a soft sigh slipping from my lips. "I know, I know. I just couldn't take being stuck in that hideout with Shadow and her team giving us withering glares around every corner. It's not like I _meant_ to for anything to happen."

"Of course not. We made sure we weren't being followed, which leads me to believe that the humans already knew there were mutants living here, and were just waiting for a time to strike," Archangel alleged, effortlessly swinging his legs over the ledge as he settled down next to me. Archangel was my oldest friend on the team, well he and Logan were at least, but I'd always been a bit closer to Archangel. He wasn't as uncouth as Logan was.

I rubbed my eyes wearily, falling silent for a moment. Even though I'd originally come up here seeking solitude, I was secretly grateful for Archangel's company. I was looking for a reprieve from the clutter of thoughts whirling around in my head, and I knew him well enough to feel comfortable that he wouldn't judge me. "You know we're going to have to leave again," I finally whispered, looking up at him despairingly. "It's not safe here anymore, for any of us. If it ever was safe."

A look of regret flickered briefly through Archangel's light eyes, and I felt a pang of guilt at seeing it there again. I knew how much we'd all been banking on the possibility of finally settling down in one place for awhile, and we had been hoping that maybe Philadelphia would be that haven we so desperately needed. That obviously wasn't an option anymore.

The thing was, my team was more than just my team…they were my family and it was my duty to protect them at all costs, to make sure they were safe, that they were being taken care of. This wasn't cutting it. "Well," he consented, rubbing his hands across the legs of his grubby jeans. "Where to now?"

I considered the idea for a moment before answering him, chewing my bottom lip slowly. "I was thinking New York. Wasn't that were some of the other mutants went after the War ended?"

Archangel nodded, looking contemplative. "Yeah I thought so. I've at least heard rumor of a lot of the factions settling there since most of the humans never returned after the War. Either way it sounds good…I've always wanted to see the Big Apple," he smirked.

"Good," I responded, flashing him a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "And as long as we stick together it doesn't matter where we go."

"Don't worry, Mia. We've got each other, and that's all that matters." He smiled reassuringly and I was suddenly glad to be able to consider him my best friend. Without a word he raised an arm, allowing me to lean into him before lowering a feathery wing around my shoulder, shielding me from the world.

"So where are they?" someone hissed from the darkness as I climbed back down into the hideout. "No doubt they're crawling through the city by now. And what are we supposed to do when those humans show up again_?_" Mystique emerged from the shadows, her yellow eyes narrowed in obvious distrust. What was it with these mutants and their affinity with darkness and lurking around in it? It was terribly discerning and didn't ease my mind about being here.

"We're safe for now, Mystique. And we'll figure out what to do before they even reach us," I snapped back jadedly, fighting to keep my voice level. I was too tired for this right now, too wrung out. "I don't want to have this conversation right now."

"Ha!" she spat, her nose wrinkling in disgust. "You expect me just to sit back and wait for you to make up your mind about what the hell we're supposed to do? _You_ got us into this predicament in the first place; _you_ lead them here and went off and alerted them to our presence." She folded her blue arms across her chest, clearly trying to appear more threatening than she was.

"Get away from me, Raven," I sighed, pushing past her. I couldn't believe we were having this conversation again. All I wanted was to go back to my room, crash into my bed, and drift into a peaceful oblivion. Especially since I knew my shift for look out was in a few short hours and I'd been up the whole night pacing restlessly around the hideout trying to figure out our next plan of action, nearly giving myself a conniption over whether or not we'd all make it out alive. Emma was probably ready to knock me unconscious before I gave her a stroke.

In a flash Mystique reached out and seized my wrist, her fingers tightening almost painfully around the delicate bones there. I whirled around, my eyes blazing and yanked my arm away, clenching my fists at my side so hard that my nails dug into my palms. I was just seconds away wiping the smug expression from her face, and it took almost all of my resolve to keep my hands at my sides. This blue shape-shifting bitch was really starting to get on my nerves. "Don't. Touch. Me." I hissed softly, the faintest inflection of menace inching into my voice.

"You're not the leader here, _Galestrom,_" Mystique spat out the last word like it was something fetid and pungent.

"No. No, I'm not, Mystique. But that doesn't mean I have to put up with you and your bullshit."

Mystique's lips titled up in the faintest of sneers. "You don't like it? Leave. None of us want you here anyway."

"Oh, don't worry. We're leaving."

"Trouble in paradise, eh?" someone said, just as Mystique opened her mouth to respond. My gaze flitted to the tall entryway leading further into the hideout where Nightcrawler leaned causally up against a wall, watching us cagily.

"No, no trouble," I replied coolly. "We were just talking." My gaze slide back to Mystique and I forced a tight-lipped smile. "Right, Raven?"

"Well I hate to break up this little bonding session, but it's our turn for watch, Raven," Nightcrawler cut in, pushing himself off from the wall and striding forward. He slid casually between the two of us, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Right," Mystique replied, her eyes never leaving my face, and I didn't miss the challenge that smoldered just below the surface of her gaze. Without a word she turned away, scaling the ladder that led out of the hideout. Nightcrawler cast one last apologetic look over his shoulder at me before following Raven, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:**

**None of these characters-except for any original characters that were never part of the traditional X-Men-belong to us!**

_**Chapter written by: Aki**_

* * *

I stared at the empty shadows for a moment before sighing wearily and turning to head to the room I shared with Emma. What was Mystique's problem? It's not like we planned for the humans to show up and launch a full on attack on us. Besides, we'd all gotten hurt, so clearly it wasn't part of some master plan to get everyone hauled back to the institute, or wherever it was they wanted to take us. I rubbed my temples slowly, trying to dispel some of the tension there. I missed the days we were all together, working as one team, not these small bickering factions ready to rip each other's throats out a moment's notice.

I was vaguely aware of someone calling my name, and I blinked in surprise, wrenching myself from my perpetual thought cycle of days past. Scott was standing just in front of me, a look of apprehension etched on his face. He frowned slightly. "Didn't you hear me calling your name?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"Sorry…I was spacing again."

"Mia," he said, his voice taking on a hint of gravity that it usually did when he was about to launch into one of his lectures. Usually I loved that about him…his serious, matter-of-fact and businesslike manner. But right now it was just another tick on the list of things I wasn't up to facing at the moment. "What's going on? Why have you been acting so strangely lately?"

"I'm fine," I lied, and immediately I could tell that Scott wasn't convinced. Unfortunately he knew me too well sometimes; I've never really had the best poker face anyway.

"Are you? Mia, you don't have to act brave around me all the time. You can tell me what's going with you," Scott said quietly, moving toward me. "You _should_ tell me what you're thinking."

"Scott, really. I'm fine. Can we please just drop it? I'm too tired right now for this."

Cyclops came to a stop just in front of me, surveying me carefully, his expression indecipherable. "Fine," he relented, resolving instead to change the subject. "When do you have watch?"

"In a few hours. I was hoping to get some sleep before then." I looked at him for a moment, overcome by a rush of love for the man who had stolen my heart so many years ago. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to him, especially because of me.

"Do you want to stay with me? Iceman and Colossus are on watch right now so I have to room to myself." He offered.

I smiled wanly and nodded. "I'd like that." Without a word Cyclops extended his hand to me, and I slipped mine into it, allowing him to lead me to his room.

I slowly drifted back in consciousness a few hours later, trying to gather my bearings, but I kept my eyes closed for a few moments, relishing in the dark haven I found there. Sometimes the waking world just wasn't as appealing as the world I found in sleep. I was dimly aware of something tugging at the back of my mind, a thought as stray as the remnant of a dream I couldn't quite grasp. Seconds later I was sitting bolt upright in bed, throwing back the blankets and scrambling into my boots. _Crap!_ I thought wildly. I was only supposed to be asleep for a few hours, and I was certain it had been much longer than that. I was entirely too rested for only a few hours of sleep.

An arm suddenly snaked around my middle, drawing me back against the rough sheets. "Where are you off to?" a low voice whispered against my ear.

"Scott, what time is it?" I demanded, struggling against his hold.

"6:00 a.m." he responded, and I felt him shift beside me, his arm tightening around my waist.

"I'm supposed to be on shift! Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Relax, Mia…" he mumbled. "You were exhausted, and Logan said he'd take your shift for you."

"Oh…" I relaxed slightly, allowing myself to sink back against the pillows.

"Yes, oh," was his response, and I could hear the barely distinguishable amusement in his voice. I felt his lips brush my ear again, and I shivered. "Now come back to bed," he murmured. My eyes slid closed as he began to kiss my neck gently, and I made a faint sound of pleasure as he worked his way up and across my jaw line. I felt his lips curve in a smile against my skin in response.

"You know, we really should get up. We need to figure out what we're doing and where we're going." Even as I said it, I felt my resolve weakening considerably, my thoughts further turning to putty as Scott slid a hand slowly up and down my side.

"Mmm-hmm." I blinked and Scott shifted so that he was poised over me, propping himself up on his elbows. The feeling of his body pressed against mine stirred something in me, and I felt suddenly lightheaded with the sensation. His lips found jaw line again, working their way up to my temple.

"Scott, really—" in one fleeting movement he silenced me with a deep, lingering kiss, and I felt powerless to resist. After what seemed like an eternity he pulled away, leaving me breathless. Even in the dim light I could make out the ghost of a smirk as it flashed across his face. I lifted a hand to brush his cheek lightly, before twining my fingers through his hair. "Fine," I said. "You win." In a flash I pulled him back down to me, barely registering the look of surprise that flickered across his face before his lips found mine again.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:**

**You know the drill...we only own our OCs.**

**Please read and review!**

**Chapter by: Aki**

* * *

"You're up, miss Hart," Nightcrawler intoned, slinking back into the hideout. He sank wearily into the threadbare sofa next to wear I was perched on the arm rest of a chair, engrossed in a quiet conversation with Scott. "Aimi's already waiting above ground," he informed me when I glanced up at him, flashing me an impish smile. Great…Miss Sunshine herself. It wasn't that I didn't like Aimi, but rather that I just wasn't looking forward to another grilling lecture or accusatory conversation from anyone at the moment.

"I'll see you later," I whispered to Scott, giving him a faint smile.

He slipped a hand behind my neck, drawing me forward so that he could brush a kiss lightly across my lips. "Be safe," he breathed against my lips, and I shoved him gently, straightening and rising to my feet. "So serious," I replied affectionately before disappearing up the ladder and out into the city.

"So how long have you been here?" I asked Aimi casually from where we perched atop the old dilapidated PHILLIES sign. I had decided to at least make an attempt at being amiable. I was beginning to think this was one of her refuges of choice since she seemed to frequent it so often. I didn't mind though. It was nice all the way up here, away from the world.

"We came here almost immediately after the war," she replied, swirling a hand in a lazy circle and watching the shadows dance in response. She gave me a sidelong glance, and I could feel her curiosity beginning to dissolve her attempt at maintaining an air of indifference. "What about you? How long have you been nomads?"

I raised a shoulder in a half-shrug. "Two years maybe? Scott gets restless and doesn't like to stay in one place long if he doesn't think it's safe enough. We had settled in Atlanta for a little while, but that didn't last long. Really though, I think we're all just tired and ready to settle down again."

"Hmm. I don't blame you there," Shadow agreed, turning her gaze back to the horizon. The sun was just sinking belong the sky-line, bathing the city in a pale golden light that created an almost surreal affect. Looking out at the vacant city it was almost hard to believe that the streets that were now haunted by the white-washed bones of sky scrapers and hollowed out shells of cars were once vibrant and teeming with people. Above us the first stars were just beginning to emerge, and as I looked at them I almost felt a reassuring sense of tranquility. Almost.

"I was thinking about moving us to New York," My voice coming out as a wistful sigh. "I haven't mentioned it to Scott, but I heard a lot of mutants went there after the War. It might not be a bad place to go."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shadow turn to look at me. She tilted her head to one side, and for a moment I was reminded of a jungle cat—wild and exotic, yet dangerous all at the same time. Her eyes were trained on me, and even though I wasn't looking at her I could feel them steadily appraising me. "That's what Gambit and I were saying. We've been thinking about where we should go since those humans attacked."

"Now that they know we're here I doubt they're going to leave," I said, turning to face her, meeting her gaze squarely. "You and I both know that." Her eyes, which reminded me so much of a dark night sky, showed the air of calm that I was beginning to recognize as a thin shield against the sometimes barely concealable uncertainty I could relate with. "They'll come back. With more troops, bigger guns, more potent tranquilizers. Especially now that they know how many of us there are." Her gaze hardened, and I didn't flinch under the suspicion I saw there.

"And what would you do to protect your family?" she asked me after a few moments, her tone carefully neutral.

"Anything," I replied mirroring the same tone.

If that was they answer she was looking for she didn't say, but something flickered briefly through her eyes before it was gone again. Approval? Admiration? Respect? Regardless, she relaxed noticeably and nodded tersely. "Good."

"As much as some of us wouldn't want to admit it, it would probably be best—safest—if we stuck together," she surprised me by saying next, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who she was talking about—Mystique, Logan, Emma.

"Well it's a good thing they aren't the leaders, then," I answered dryly, and from the corner of her eye I saw her grin.

Suddenly I was hit with a malevolent feeling so strong, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and my stomach roil. The air was practically thick with the acrid scent of something terribly wrong, of danger. I shrank back into the shadows out of instinct, my eyes flitting warily around us.

"Do you feel that?" I whispered, my body automatically tensing.

Beside me Shadow tensed as well, dropping to a low crouch. In seconds we were surrounded by silky black shadows meant to conceal our presence, and I felt a bit safer. "I do," she responded, her voice coming out as a soft growl.

"Whatever it is," I murmured, "it's not human. And it's hunting us." As we crouched there, hidden by shadows, I couldn't quell the sense of panic that was seeping slowly into my veins like maple syrup. It was overwhelming, smothering, and my heart began to beat erratically. I felt like I was about to wretch.

"What is it?" Shadow hissed to me, sensing my distress.

"I don't know," I whispered back, my voice strangled. I was swallowed hard. "Something…something isn't right."


End file.
